‘How to design for a small space’ with hunny

mydeco member hunny takes us through the challenges of designing for a small space:

With first time buyers and renters finding their budget stretched and their choices limited to small cramped one room apartments, making the best of your space can be hard to imagine. As a dilettante to design I have searched high and low for tips on how to make the best of your space.

One basic tip experts have mentioned across all the sites I’ve read is ‘making sure that it does not actually appear small and cluttered’ and ‘be smart and find space conscious furniture’.

They make it sound so easy …

Clever use of storage and dividers are key as well as a theme that follows throughout your space. You don’t have to keep your walls bare to make your space look bigger, just be clever. This video by designer Nick Olsen shares small space tips and walks you through a tiny Brooklyn studio apartment:

Nick says: ‘The scale of the room should dictate the scale of the furniture but every space needs an over-scale element. Also, don’t be afraid of putting furniture in the middle of the room.

‘Don’t be afraid of paint! If you are on a budget and a do-it-yourself-er, paint is your friend.’

Many mydeco.com designers are designing studios and small spaces. One of my favourite 3D planner studio designs is by mydeco member Chania:

She uses a zesty common colour theme throughout the room and high-gloss furniture to create a seamless effect making the room look large and uncluttered.

Calu13 created this studio using mydeco’s 3D home planner with a creative and fun theme. The mezzanine level adds an extra space:

See another angle to the room here:

One of the easiest ways to decorate a studio apartment is by using mirrors. By placing a mirror or two in a small space, you will automatically create the impression of more space. Mirrors also reflect the light, which makes an apartment feel larger.

When choosing the paint for your studio, look for colours that will reflect the light you have and make the small space look bigger. Paint is the easiest way to use light colours in a studio, if your renting agreement allows you to paint the walls. If not, look for furniture, curtains, art, and bedding that are bright and light. If you want to add more colour to your studio, use brightly coloured accessories and textiles. Bright floor rugs, cushions and vases are the easiest to buy and if you are designing on a budget, they don’t have to be expensive. You could also paint side and end tables as well as chairs and frames for that added burst of colour. Look for storage solutions by buying furniture that has built-in storage – for example, a coffee table with drawers or shelving with no backing that you can use as a divider. This type of shelving will create flow and seperate different areas.

I hope these tips help you create your perfect studio.